By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 15, 2026 at 7:01 PM
A pastor in San Antonio, Texas, has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing two young girls over several years. Pastor Ryan Pena, 50, was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child on April 3, following an investigation initiated by California authorities and conducted by the San Antonio Police Department.
The two victims, now adults, are family members of Pena, though their exact relationship to him is not specified. They reported to investigators that the abuse began when they were as young as 6 to 8 years old, continuing until their late teens. The victims described graphic acts of abuse, including an incident where Pena allegedly contacted one of them via social media, expressing a desire for a “friends with benefits” relationship. This victim also recounted how Pena had groomed her over the years, professing love for her.
Initially, the victims did not report the abuse to law enforcement, choosing instead to move on from the traumatic experiences. However, in March, both victims decided to come forward and press charges against Pena. During an investigation, Pena was informed of his rights and acknowledged awareness of past allegations against him. He appeared hesitant to discuss the matter and suggested the victims’ claims were based on dreams or mental health issues, even attempting to discredit one of the victims’ families.
The San Antonio Police Department considered both the victims’ allegations and Pena’s statements before obtaining a warrant for his arrest. Pena was subsequently arrested and released on a $150,000 bond. It remains unclear whether he has entered a plea or secured legal representation.
Pena was previously affiliated with the Church of Acts. The San Antonio Police Department has not yet responded to requests for further comment on the case. This situation underscores the importance of accountability and justice, echoing the biblical call to care for the vulnerable and uphold truth, as seen in Micah 6:8 and Proverbs 31:8-9. If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
